My personal time in God's Word at the moment has been spent in the depths of Ezekiel. You also catch me today on a rare day of annual leave, hence some time to cobble my thoughts into written form.
[Full disclosure: I don't really have much of a clue as to how Ezekiel works as a book, but my initial reflections are that this is a clear, terrifying and personal piece of writing to an ancient people group in Israel.]
This afternoon, I'd love you to walk with me through my mediations on Ezekiel 14:12-20.
And the word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD." Ezekiel 14:12-14 [underscore mine]
The passage continues in this same vein, with particular repetition of the refrain about Noah, Daniel and Job's deliverance, by their "righteousness".
A few things seem clear to me...
1) Israel's sin is their faithlessness.
Does this seem surprising to you, as it did to me?
When we think of sin, we often think of all sorts of small s "sins" - things that might make God angry with us, because he dislikes those things. This may well be true.
But in this passage, the people are told that it is their faithlessness that is their sin.
It is their refusal to believe God. To listen to him. To trust him.
I've been reading the Bible regularly with someone recently, and we have wondered why we spend so much time studying this strange, and rather hard to understand book. We came to the conclusion that it is because we believe it will teach us who to trust. Who to listen to. Why we can trust Him.
It is difficult to trust people. Another conversation recently, with a teenager who has been let down countless times by people. Is it any wonder she has difficulty wondering if she can trust the words of God?
But you'll see here that the sin of Israel is her faithlessness.
Let's not play around with knowing what God says, but not really believing it.
2) There's a reason why Noah, Daniel & Job are the examples held up here.
I was surprised to see these three men with such a leading role in this part of Ezekiel. Not because they're insignificant, but their names and their fates are repeated over and over, in contrast to the rest of Israel.
My question is why?
I wonder if these are three strong examples of men who lived faithfully (by which I mean, they believed God and lived accordingly) in a situation that looked absolutely nonsensical.
Noah believed that God was going to judge the whole world with a flood and acted accordingly.
Daniel believed that allegiance to the one true God was more important than potentially dying at the mouths of lions and the scorn of doubters.
Job believed that "no purpose of God's could be thwarted" and fell on his face in repentance, after experiencing greater suffering than any person before or since, aside from the Lord Jesus himself.
Does that blow your mind, a little, like it does mine?
Believing in God, in facts about Him - that is a cold and cerebral activity.
But believing God is deeply relational and active. It's based on what he has said and done. Perhaps we underestimate how much trust influences actions - but isn't that obvious in these examples of faith?
3) Noah, Daniel & Job are saved because of their faith.
The refrain that is repeated in Ezekiel about these three heroes:
"They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness."
Odd language on one level, but it reminds me of what Paul later says to the church in Rome about how God has always made people righteous - or 'right with him':
No unbelief made him waver [Abraham] concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness".
But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Romans 4:20-25
Wow. God has never changed his mind or changed his ways.
My own failings in this area are extraordinary. But I do trust this incredible Saviour we have more and more each (often tricky) year that goes by. And his mercy and kindness in the midst of my all-too-frequent wrestles and rants with him - that mercy and kindness is bountiful and eternal. It really, truly is.
Are you fully convinced that God is able to do what he has promised? I wonder if we might all benefit from writing a list of things God says about himself, about the world, about his plans - and being honest about to what degree we believe that statement. Pop me a message if you'd like me to send you some to get you going.
Thanks for humouring me if you read this and for helping me to order some thoughts about a slightly unusual portion of the Bible.
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